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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Maricopa, Arizona » U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center » Pest Management and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #181646
Title: APPROACHES TO MICROBIAL AND ENZYMATIC REMEDIATION OF STICKY COTTON, CHAP 10

Author
item HENDRIX, DONALD - WCRL RETIRED
item Henneberry, Thomas
item NICHOLS, ROBERT - COTTON INC

Submitted to: Sticky Cotton - Causes, Impacts and Prevention
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/1/2005
Publication Date: 6/4/2007
Citation: Hendrix, D.L., Henneberry, T.J., Nichols, R.L. 2007. Approaches to microbial and enzymatic remediation of sticky cotton, Chap 10. Sticky Cotton - Causes, Impacts and Prevention. ARS Tech. Bull. 1915:126-139.

Interpretive Summary: Cotton lint may become contaminated by insect honeydew. High honeydew concentrations of honeydew contamination in regions with high humidity are typically evident as sooty molds and are clearly visible (Aspergillus and Penicillium spp.). However in arid regions, where sweetpotato whitefly are often found, seed cotton can be quite sticky without being obvious to the observer. Thus the first impediment to remediation may be detection. If cotton is determined to be contaminated with honeydew before it is picked, there are possibilities for remediative action by overspraying with microbials or enzymes before picking, treating at picking, when moduling, when ginning, and possibly when compressing. If the chemical requirements for honeydew decomposition are known, appropriate chemical or biochemical remediation may be attempted, if there are means to direct the remediative product to the target, and if the appropriate conditions for successful reaction can be accomplished without creating disadvantage side-reactions.

Technical Abstract: Although effective programs for management of sweetpotato whitefly and cotton aphid are available, in some instances, due to insufficient attention by producers, or inadequate insect control, cotton lint may become contaminated by insect honeydew. High concentrations of honeydew contamination in regions with high humidity are typically evident as sooty molds and are clearly visible (Aspergillus and Penicillium spp.). However in arid regions, where sweetpotato whitefly are often found, seed cotton can be quite sticky without being obvious to the observer. Thus the first impediment to remediation may be detection. If cotton is determined to be contaminated with honeydew before it is picked, there are possibilities for remediative action by overspraying with microbials or enzymes before picking, treating at picking, when moduling, when ginning, and possibly when compressing. If the chemical requirements for honeydew decomposition are known, appropriate chemical or biochemical remediation may be attempted, if there are means to direct the remediative product to the target, and if the appropriate conditions for successful reaction can be accomplished without creating disadvantage side-reactions.